Household refrigerator



"Dec. 13, 1966 A. HALDOPOULOS HOUSEHOLD REFRIGERATOR Filed Sept. 29, 1965 INVENTOR AKIS HALDO POULQS BY y? H \S ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,290,893 HOUSEHQLD REFRIGERATOR Allis Haldopoulos, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 491,130 4 Claims. (Cl. 62187) The present invention relates to household refrigerators and is more particularly concerned with a combination refrigerator comprising a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment and means for controlling the supply of refrigerated air to the compartments.

Combination refrigerators including two storage com partments operating at different temperatures and means for supplying refrigerated air to both compartments from a single source are well known. In order to maintain the desired temperatures within the two compartments, it is necessary to proportion or regulate the amounts of air supplied to each compartment.

The present invention is generally directed to and has as its principal object the provision of a new and improved combination refrigerator including fluid amplifier means for controlling the flow of refrigerated air to the compartments. Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator cabinet comprising separate freezer and fresh food storage compartments and means for supplying refrigerated air from a single evaporator to both of the compartments. For the purpose of controlling the air flow to the compartments, the refrigerated air supply means includes a fluid amplifier comprising a main inlet for refrigerated air, a first outlet communicating with one of the compartments and a second outlet communicating with the other compartment. The fluid amplifier also includes a control port communicating with one of the compartments and temperature actuated means for controlling the flow of the air through the control port in order to change the flow of refrigerated air to the compartments and thereby maintain the desired temperatures therein.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which the single figure is a sectional View of a portion of a household refrigerator embodying the present invention.

With reference to the drawings, there is illustrated a household refrigerator comprising insulated walls defining a freezer compartment 1 intended to operate at a temperature below freezing and a fresh food compartment 2 adapted to operate at an above freezing temperature of for example 35 to 40 F. The two compartments are separated by a horizontal insulating partition 3 which also includes means for supplying refrigerated air to the two compartments including an evaporator chamber 4 containing an evaporator 5. Air is circulated from the two compartments 1 and 2 through the chamber 4 by means of a blower 6 also contained within the partition 3. More specifically, air is withdrawn from the freezer compart' ment 1 through a passage 8 connecting the freezer compartment with the inlet end of the chamber 4- and is re turned to the freezer compartment through the air passage 9 while air is withdrawn from the fresh food compartment 2 through a passage 10 and refrigerated air is supplied to the fresh food compartment through a passage 11. The refrigerator also comprises a refrigerant condensing means including a compressor for supplying liquid refrigerant to the evaporator 5.

In accordance with the present invention, the supply of refrigerated air to the two compartments 1 and 2, and hence the temperatures maintained therein, is controlled by fluid amplifier means generally indicated by the numeral 14 in the air circulating or supply means between the blower 6 and the passages 9 and 11. The fluid amplifier includes a main inlet 15 for receiving the refrigerated air from the outlet of blower 6, a first or freezer outlet 16 connected to the passage 9 and a second or fresh food outlet 17 connected to the passage 11. In accordance with the usual fluid amplifier practice, the fluid amplifier 14 also includes one or more control ports for directing the flow of refrigerated air through one or the other of the outlet passages 16 and 17.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, there is provided a first control port 19 communicating with the freezer compartment and a second control port 20 communicating with the fresh food compartment 2. Control port 19 remains open at all times while the control port 20 includes valve means 21 designed to open or close the control port 20 in response to a temperature. change within the fresh food compartment 2. The fluid amplifier 14 is so designed that when the flow of air through the control port 28 is unrestricted, all or substantially all of the refrigerated air entering the fiuid amplifier flows through the. freezer outlet. 16 into the freezer compartment 1. When the control port 20 is closed by means of the valve 21, the flow of all or substantially all ofthe refrigerated air is diverted to the fresh food outlet passage 17.

The air flow through the control port 20 may be controlled by any suitable means adapted to provide the desired refrigeration of the two compartments. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a bimetal reed 22 is provided in the compartment 2 for actuating the valve 21 in response to a change in the temperature of the air in the fresh food compartment. When the bimetal reed moves to close the port 29, the air flow through the amplifier 14- is wholly or partly diverted into the fresh food outlet 17. Until such time as the temperature within the fresh food compartment 2 reaches a predetermined lower value, the control port Zll will be closed or substantially closed. When the desired minimum temperature in the fresh food compartment is attained, the bimetal reed 22 operates to remove the restriction to port 20 and return most or all of the air fiow to the freezer compartment.

It will also be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific fluid amplifier illustrated in the drawing. This type of fluid amplifier and other types utilizing one or more control ports or jets to control a main fluid flow between one of several outlet passages are well known. Fluid amplifiers may be designed so that under various control conditions, fluid flow is directed to either one or the other of two outlets or is split between the two outlets. Also the flow of the fluid to a desired outlet may be controlled by closing or partially restricting either one control port or more than one control port.

Therefore, while there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the present invention it will be understood that it is not limited thereto and it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a refrigerator including first and second storage compartments and means for supplying refrigerated air to both of said compartments, the improvement which comprises a fluid amplifier in said air supplying means, said fluid amplifier including a main inlet for refrigerated air, a first outlet communicating with said first compartment, a second outlet communicating with said second compartment, a control port and means responsive to the temperature in one of said compartments for controlling air flow through said control port to change the balance of. air flow to said compartments.

2. In a refrigerator including first and second storage compartments and means for supplying refrigerated air to both of said compartments, the improvement which comprises a fluid amplifier in said air supplying means, said fluid amplifier including a main inlet for refrigerated air, a first outlet communicating with said first compartment, a second outlet communicating with said second compartment, a control port communicating with one of said cornpartments and means responsive to the temperature in said one of said compartments for restricting the air flow through said control port to divert at least some of the flow of refrigerated air from said first to said second compartment.

3. In a household refrigerator, separate storage compartment, and an evaporator chamber housing an evaporator and separate from said compartments,

air circulating means for circualting air from both of said compartments through said chamber and including a fluid amplifier for controlling the flow of air from said chamber to said compartments,

said fluid amplifier including an inlet connected to said chamber and first and second outlets respectively connected to said compartments,

said amplifier including a control port communicating with one of said compartments,

said amplifier being configured to exit at least a major portion of refrigerated air entering said inlet through said first outlet when said control port is open and 4 through said second outlet when said control port is restricted, and means responsive to an increase in temperature in one of said compartments to restrict said control port. 4. In a household refrigerator, a first compartment, a second compartment and an evaporator chamber housing an evaporator and separate from said compartments,

air circulating means for circulating air from both of said compartments through said chamber and including a fluid amplifier for controlling the flow of air from said chamber to said compartments, said amplifier including an inlet connected to said chamber, a first outlet communicating with said first compartment and a second outlet communicating with said second compartment, said amplifier including a control port communicating with said second compartment, said amplifier being configured to exit at least a major portion of refrigerated air entering said inlet through said first outlet when said control port is open and through said second outlet when said control port is restricted, and means responsive to an increase in temperature in said second compartment to restrict said control port.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM J. WYE, Primary Examiner; 

1. IN A REFRIGERATOR INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND STORAGE COMPARTMENTS AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING REFRIGERATED AIR TO BOTH OF SAID COMPARMENTS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A FLUID AMPLIFIER IN SAID AIR SUPPLYING MEANS, SAID FLUID AMPLIFIER INCLUDING A MAIN INLET FOR REFRIGERATED AIR, A FIRST OUTLET COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT, A SECOND OUTLET COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECOND COMPARMENT, A CONTROL PORT AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE TEMPERATURE IN ONE OF SAID COMPARTMENTS FOR CONTROLLING AIR FLOW THROUGH SAID CONTROL PORT TO CHANGE THE BALANCE OF AIR FLOW TO SAID COMPARTMENTS. 